In WWII, the Battle of Midway between the main Japanese and U.S. fleets was fought over a tiny air strip located on the Midway Atoll, halfway between the U.S. and Asia. The battle for the island was a decisive victory for U.S. forces, and helped even the odds between the U.S. and Japanese navies. But how did the U.S. come to control this island in the first place? Our object today helps tell the story of how Midway Island and dozens of small islands like it became U.S. territories just after the Civil War, thus setting the stage for some of the largest naval battles of World War II.